Beaumont bat tests positive for rabies

According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, a man employed with TruTech Animal Removal out of Houston, was removing bats out of a house at 2486 Pierce St. in Beaumont earlier this week. It is unclear whether the man was bitten or just exposed to the bat, but it was shipped by the individual to Austin to be tested for rabies. The test came back positive.

Beaumont Animal Services would like to remind the public not to touch bats if they find one on the ground or inside a building. Place something over the bat like a coffee can and call animal control to have the bat removed.

This time of year is maternity season for bats. Sometimes female bats will be weighted down with pups and forced to the ground, or young bats may be found resting on the ground. To the untrained eye, it would be hard to tell if this were the case or if the bats were sick. This is why Animal Services recommends not touching the bat.

Bats are a protected species of animals, so do not try to kill them. Bats are also very beneficial to the ecosystem. Just one bat, can eat thousands of insects in an evening. For more information on bats, you can look them up on the web at www.batworld.org[3].